Elston Gunnn

Outfought, Gray too weak there.

Lampard needs to make more than one change. Still, we’re only 1 down, so we could get lucky.

Gordon outfought again. We’re outfought, over and over.

Yet again, ManU defender more alert, energetic.

Onana not alert. More embarrassment.

Gana misses basic pass. Onana outfought.

Several really basic, basic problems. 1. Dreadful passing, unfortunately a perennial problem for us last several seasons. Opponents know we’re a poor passing team. They just wait for the poor pass they’re quite confident is coming. 2. ManU far more alert than Everton. They’re always moving, 1-2 steps ahead of us. 3. ManU spacing is professional; ours is incoherent. 4. Gana Gueye has returned to his running all over the pitch.

I think I recall 1 or 2 such starting times, but honestly not 100% certain. I wonder whether this is because of ManU’s Thurs night match in Cyprus? Give them an extra bit of time to recover from faraway trip?

Definitely not a strength of his, which is why his perfect cross, left-footed no less, to Onana in the second half was such a surprise. I guess Onana was shocked, as he missed a free header that would have made it 1-3 and saved us all a lot of fretting. More left-footed crosses from Coleman, please.

Even ahead of Coleman? I thought Mills is a winger?

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/nathan-patterson-injury-everton-breaking-25077584 “It doesn’t look too good when they go off on a stretcher.” No, not real good. Backup To Coleman? Holgate still out for a few more weeks? Vinagre on right? Doucouré? Three at the back? Bound to be Coleman for awhile, but if Patterson is out for months, Coleman can’t play every match.

More like just “ mental.” Which almost led me to ask whether you Brits, like Americans, use “mental” as slang for “crazy.” Almost. For, as I thought about it, I began to think probably “mental” is actually British slang that we Americans have adopted over time. I could look it up in my handy guide, Norman W. Schur’s thorough and thoroughly hilarious British English A to Zed. Highly recommended. I’ve learned, seriously, that we Yanks have in recent decades adopted quite a few Britisms.

No, no, not a joke vote. Possibly wrongheaded, of course. Though ..... in the match thread I posted that “Begović made some important saves, too,” which was upvoted by 5, apparently similarly deluded, TT-ers. Now, these 5 muddleheads — I name them not, to save them from guilt-by-association — cannot be held responsible for my ghastly faux pas. May I have a cigarette before facing the firing squad? And an Alex Iwobi signature jersey, for my sins and as I breathe my last?

Begović made some important saves, too.

Maddeningly stupid from Doucouré.

Good sportsmanship award for Palfy.

Don’t trust Gordon on a yellow. Get McNeil in.

Gordon just can’t be offside there. He’s looking across the pitch.

Lovely buildup, lovely, and top-notch shot.

Worry about Coady on a yellow having to deal with Antonio. Tarkowski shadows Antonio this half? Looks like only CH sub is Keane. Gulp.

I’m desperate enough to try any of Patterson, Mykolenko, Iwobi.

Maybe Patterson would be a better choice than Gray for free kicks?

Don’t know whether the Europa League Thursday-Sunday thing is a meaningful disadvantage for EPL teams. Hope so, as Arsenal are away later today in Zürich.. Too bad they’re not at AEK or Trabzonspor.

These observations by Bailey and StevO might serve as the beginning of a conversation that will merit attention, elaboration, and debate (not to mention, of course, irritation, snark, and insult) as this season progresses. As often as not I supported Palfy’s and pete0’s criticism of Gana Gueye when he played for us before. For me, it came down to the IGG “risk/reward” calculation, and rather too many of what Bailey here refers to “swings and roundabouts.” Perhaps StevO’s question — genuine, I gather, given the emogi — is a key, about which we will learn more as Lampard’s tactics emerge. I will hope that those tactics will hinge on Gana Gueye being deployed, as Bailey describes his play yesterday, to sit, hold, pick off, and knock the ball around. I think Gana Gueye is way, way best deployed as a holding DCM, not as a box-to-box midfielder. He’s just not much good, skill-wise, near the opponent’s box; worse, he’s dangerously away from his great defensive positional-strength there. None of our other 6 midfielders can compare to his brilliance as a holding DCM. But most, perhaps all of the other 6, offer more in attack. Iwobi, Onana, and Doucouré are certainly better than IGG going forward, Davies and Garner probably so; even the rarely-to-be-seen-again Allan has a “better” shot than IGG. Gana Gueye can be our most valuable player, our fulcrum, (1) in protecting the back 4, and (2) in freeing our 5 attacking players to push forward, press, attack, cross, score goals. Happy for him — Bailey again — to pick off, win the ball, and set us on the attack. But he should rarely continue to attack; leave that to actual ACMs, wingers, and forwards, which, to our delight and surprise, are now in the squad in pretty good numbers.

Club option for ‘23-‘24.